Call it beer-vana. For those who like to unwind with a pint of the best (and really, who doesn't?), British Columbia is a paradise of cosy brewpubs, craft breweries, beer festivals and all things hoppy, yeasty and fizzy.

With its traditional British heritage, it's no surprise that the province has long been home to a vibrant pub culture. But now a new generation of artisans is brewing up creative ales, bitters, lagers, stouts and porters, and dishing up great eats and lively events along the way. After all, beer culture is all about enjoying life, especially here in beautiful British Columbia.

Here are some of the best ways to raise a pint glass in BC. Cheers!

The Craft Brewers

Travelling around BC, the beer lover will discover craft brew in every corner of the province from the islands to the mountains and the verdant valleys in between.

In Vancouver, the new Brassneck Brewery on Main Street offers up to 10 ever-evolving styles of beer crafted by one of the city's most revered brewers, Conrad Gmoser. Drop by for a pint in the tasting room, fill your growler and be sure stop for a snack at the food truck parked outside. The best part: each day, a different truck sets up shop, meaning beer and menu pairings are seemingly boundless. Brassneck joins a host of other craft breweries in and around Vancouver, including Parallel 49 and 33 Acres (East Van draws that also boast friendly tasting rooms and ever-changing food trucks), along with Storm, Red Truck, R&B, long-time fave Granville Island Brewery, and more.

Although it is not itself a brewery, one must-visit destination for beer lovers is CRAFT Beer Market, located in the 84-year-old Salt Building in the Olympic Village. There you can find 140 taps pouring the largest selection of draft beer in Canada, including most of the local faves. Be sure to check out the monthly Brewmaster's dinners and weekly cask nights.

Still thirsty? From BC's biggest city, head west — way west — to Vancouver Island's rugged Pacific coast and the Tofino Brewing Company, which takes a sustainable approach to its Tuff Session Ale and seasonal Fogust Wheat Ale. Drop by the industrial-looking brewery to fill your growler and chat with the brewers — if they're not out surfing. While on the Island, be sure to seek out Wolf Brewing (formerly Fat Cat) in Nanaimo before heading to Victoria, city of many pubs, where you'll find, among others, Phillips and Driftwood, each with its distinctive style and loyal fans.

Back on the Mainland, up the Sunshine Coast, there's the Persephone Brewing Company in Gibsons, which grows its own hops on the site of a former flower farm. The brewery is named for the famous tugboat in the beloved CBC TV series The Beachcombers, which was filmed here in the 1970s and '80s, and is earning good karma by hiring people with disabilities to work on the farm. Visit the tasting room to try the Goddess Golden Ale and Rum Runner Red Ale. Then mosey on up the coast to Powell River (short ferry ride included), where you will find Townsite Brewing, housed in the old post office building in Powell River's nationally recognized historic Townsite district.

For a change of scenery, head to Thompson Okanagan wine country, where you'll discover plenty of barley amid the grapes, including Tree Brewing in Kelowna, Cannery Brewing Company in Penticton and Crannóg Ales in Sorrento, the first certified all-organic brewer in Canada. It's famous for bold, Irish-style ales such as the Back Hand of God Stout, a perfect accompaniment for a lazy day of houseboating on nearby Shuswap Lake.

Further north, instead of panning for nuggets in the historic mining town of Barkerville, visitors can go for gold of a different kind at the Barkerville Brewing Co. in nearby Quesnel. Housed in a building that has undergone many incarnations — pool hall, nightclub, gas station — the brewery is aiming to stake its claim as a producer of true Cariboo ale. Drop by and see how they're doing, starting with the flagship 18 Karat Ale.

For more craft ales that are farther flung, visit Wheelhouse Brewing at the end of the road in the pretty coastal city of Prince Rupert and Three Ranges Brewing in mountainous Valemount. Then head south to the Kootenay Rockies, where the mountains are home to several craft brewers, including the all-organic Nelson Brewing Company and Mt. Begbie Brewery in Revelstoke, the brainchild of a former nuclear physicist who decided he'd rather make beer than war. Take the tour, try the High Country Kölsch, and you, too, will be set to solve the world's problems.

The Big Boys

These days, craft brewers are getting most of the attention, but the big brewers can still throw a pretty cool shindig.

In Vancouver, the Molson Coors Brewery — Western Canada's biggest and most highly recognized beer brand — recently started allowing tours for the first time since it opened in 1953. They're run through Vancouver Food Tour, and are an irresistible opportunity to see what's going on in that bunker-like building at the foot of the Burrard Street Bridge.

Meanwhile, over in the southeast corner of BC, nestled between the Selkirk and Purcell mountains, the Columbia Brewery offers popular tours of its Creston facility. Visitors can taste the brewery's famous Kokanee beer, pick up kitschy memorabilia in the gift shop and perhaps even catch sight of its elusive mascot, the aptly named Sasquatch.

All Hail the Ale Events

Beer is, of course, more fun when it's enjoyed with others, and BC has plenty of great beer-centric events year round.

Come spring, locals in wine country pause from their worship of the grape to raise a glass to the grain at the Okanagan Fest-of-Ale in Penticton — an unbeatable opportunity to sample craft brews from all over the Pacific Northwest. Also in the spring is Vancouver Craft Beer Week, a nine-day festival celebrating all things craft beer and culture. This year, VCBW will kick off with their opening night extravaganza May 30, bookending the event's festivities with the toast-worthy VCBW Beer Festival.

October promises to satisfy, too, thanks to its designation as B.C. Craft Beer Month. Among the key events is the B.C. Beer Awards & Festival, which recognizes the best brews in the province at a signature tasting event.

Thirst been quenched? If not, there's Cornucopia up in Whistler in November, a signature 11-day-long event of seminars, dinners, parties and tastings that feature wine, food, spirits and, of course, beer. And come the new year, you can combine your love of craft beer tastings with downhill powder pursuits during Apex Resort's Brewski in February or opt instead for a March “break” of frothy proportions, courtesy of the RED Mountain Beer Goggles Craft Brew Festival.

Brewpubs

Finally, it's all fine and well to sample craft beer, but really, wouldn't you prefer to sit down and enjoy a round or two, perhaps with a burger or nachos to go with? Well, you're in luck, because BC is also home to a growing number of brewpubs that not only make their own beer, but serve it alongside gourmet pub fare.

Canada's oldest brewpub — and one that's still pouring with the best of them — is Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub, housed in a rambling old Tudor-style house with magnificent views across Victoria Harbour. Known for a long list of year-round ales as well as seasonal faves, it also serves exceptional casual fare based on local ingredients, such as the irresistibly creamy seafood chowder. Other Island brewpubs to check out include the Canoe Brewpub in Victoria and Craig Street Brew Pub in Duncan.

In Vancouver, the city's original brewpub, Steamworks, is still among the most popular, but it has been joined by a host of others, especially once you venture out further afield. In Surrey, for instance, Central City Brewing is scooping up multiple awards for its Red Racer range of beers, including its signature IPA, perfect with the pub's popular weekend brunch.

Along the Sea-to-Sky Highway on the way to Whistler, it's worth a stop in Squamish, which is both an outdoor adventure hot spot and home to the Howe Sound Inn and Brewing Co. Try any of the huge selection of ales, carefully paired with a hearty but sophisticated pub menu.

Another good reason to continue the exploration is the Noble Pig Brewhouse in Kamloops. Its cask nights, terrific ales and a menu of mouth-watering nibbles like bacon caramel corn and pulled pork poutine are all good reasons to contemplate a visit to the sunny Thompson River Valley.

But no matter where you are in British Columbia, there's a brewer, a pub, a festival or restaurant nearby, where the beer is cold, the taps are many and the barman is waiting to pull a refreshing pint just for you.

For information about British Columbia visit Destination British Columbia's website at www.BritishColumbia.travel

For additional story ideas visit Destination British Columbia's media site at www.travelmedia.helloBC.com

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Press information:         Claire Barrett or Antonia Robinson at Gosh PR

                                    Claire@goshpr.co.uk, Antonia@goshpr.co.uk

                                    T. 020 7367 6747